Process of regenerating air.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

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H. R. CRVETH.

PROCESS OF REGENBRATING AIR.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJF, 1911.

H, R, CARVETH.

PROCESS or REGENEHATINC- MR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.15, 1911. L l 1,@55, Patented Sep, 22, j

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS/35 swim/fw? IN VEN TOR.

jl g/l y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HECTOR R. CARVETH, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROESSLER HASSLACHER CHEMICAL CO., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS 0]? REGENERATING AIR.

To (1N vwhom z' may concern.:

Be it known that I, I-licc'roa R. Caiivrxrii, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niafara and State of New York, have invente( certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of liegenerating Air, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the regeneration of vitia'ted air by treating it with chemicals and with water vapor in such a way that its impurities are removed while its oxygen content is brought to a desired standard and discloses a process which can effect suc regeneration.

When air is taken into the lungs of a hmmm being, there is absorbed from it a very considerable amount of oxygen; the exhaled air contains carbon dioxid and water va ior. In many cases it would be of great value if the air could be restored to the condition in which it was originally, so far as its freedom from cai'bon dioxid, and its normal content of oxygen and water vapor are concerned. This so-called regeneration of air is of the greatest value where it is necessary for a person to work in an atmosphere which will not sup ort life; for in such cases all that is require is that the erson carry with him an apparatus into w iich he may breathe the exhaled air and from which hev can continuously withdraw air practically pure after it had been so treated as to effect its regeneration. Apparatus of this kind is in use among firemen, mine rescue squads and divers. Of the parts essential for supplying air, the apparatus may comprise t ie followinf?r (a a helmet which protects the head and which also acts as an air reservoir (b) a tube designed to carry exhaled air from the helmet to the regeneration chamber (c) a chamber where the air is regenerated (d) a tube to cari'. the regenerated air hack to the helmet. Y.lhcse four parts form a closed air circuit which when properly ydesi ned can support the life of the operator or a loxig time even when no fresh air is added to the circuit from outside.

This invention relates to the process of treating the air with a substance or mixture of substances in the regeneration chamber of the closed circuit whereby the carbon dioxid is removed and oxygen added to bringr its percentage back to approximately 19% or 20%. Belonging to the class of sub- Specificatlon of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 15, 1911.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

Serial No. 644,170.

stances which by interaction with water can evolve oxygen and at the same time give a product which will absorb caibon dioxid, are the peroxids of the alkali and alkali earth metals, such as sodium peroxid,potas sium peroxid, calcium peroxid, etc. The reactions enumerated above ai'c the ones rcquired in air regeneration; in the process new being described, a body suoli as an alkaline peroxid which can produce these reactions in the presence ot water vapor and vitiated air or mixtures thereof, such as for example, a mixture of potassium and sodium pcroxid, is used as the regenerating agent.

Iliave found that the moisture in exhaled air in a closed circuit is insufficient in amount to produce by its reaction with sodium peroxid for example the oxygen evolution and the carbon dioxid absorption which are required to make the air suitable for continued res iration. The addition of more water wil however, produce the required result and it is necessary therefore to cause the air which has been dehydrated and partially regenerated, to absorb more moisture and react with a new mass of the regenerating substance; and by repeating the operations of humidif ing the air and reacting the moisture with the chemical, the desired result is obtained.

One form of apparatus illustrating the application of the method is shown in Figures I and II, of which Fig. I is a plan view and Fig. II a cross section. Fig. III is a somewhat diagrammatic view showin the relationship of the apparatus of Figs. and II to an apparatus complete in all its parts to effect regeneration, while Fig. IV is a rear view of thel mask shown in Fig. III.

Like numbers refer to like parts in the several views.

To the regenerating chamber l is attached tube 2 through which the air passes into the chamber. There it meets a regenerating material 3 such as fused sodiuml peroxid (oxone), which is supplied in the 'torin of linups to compartment 4. This compartment I has walls 5, such as wire screen or perforated metal, which allow the assage of air while retaining the chemical in osition. Some ofi-,the moisture is taken from the air when it reacts with the peroxid. The products of" the reaction are gaseous oxy en and caustic soda which latter absorbs earu dioxid from theI air. ll it is desired, this drating agent. takes up more moisture before 1t passes into .section might be so designed that the air leaving it would be absolutely dry before it lreached the next section 6, 'Where by the lung pressure itis forced through a mois.- tened sponge or cloth 7 herein called a hyv Here the air gradually the next section S, which also contains the dehydrating regenerating material, Where to the air in the circuit oxygen is added and from which carbon dicxid is withdrawn.

By increasing the number of sect-ignsconi taining alternately hydrating andregeneiating materials, it will be. possible to remove the carbon dioxid asdesi'red, to increase the oxygen up to and beyond the percentage found in normal air and Vto .sendf back through outlet 10,. the regenerateair'sup fao plied with the desire-.gl vamount r:1f-moisture. The reaction ot waiter vapor and carbon Adioxid upon the regenerating agent Vdevelops a great amount of heat; this raises the temperature ot' the regenerator chamber and thus gives to the a-i-r passing through this chamber a greater capacity for carrying .water vapor when it is passing through the section containing the hydra-ting agent.

lThe relationI of the regenerator to the other essential pirts of an apparatus com- 'plete as described above is shown diagrammatically in Fig. IH: Fig. IV presents a rear' View or" the niaskonly..v The mask A is fitted to. the head by means of an air tight cushion, and is eo designed as to leaife anairfspace between the mask and the'V face. Exhaled air is blown through mouthpieceB into tube .C which passes through the mask to regenerating chamber D, details4 ofvwhich con-V struction have already beenH-explained in Figs. I and Il. After passing'through D the course-ot the regeneratedairf'is through E far as thejcontained gases are concerned' since the quantity and composition of the same'are absolutely/'independent of the at-A y mosphere surrounding the wearer.

As already Vstated above there is a development of heat When the carbon dioxid is absorbed and the Water vapor reacts with the regenerating material. "In my apparatus I plan not toyva'ste all of this by radiation but rather toutilizyeviit s o as to raise the tempera turepf the aigin the hydrator that it may take up /mor/e water va or there/ than it Would/1f the an' were col er. vThis increases .the degree of reaction in ther generator' chambers and makes the. appar tus more' eliicient.

scope of .the appended claim demand, f any stated number of sections f the appara- I do 'not limit iny'self, fur/Eger than/the tus nor to any particular forni cj ap aratus 3 nor to a'single regenerating cham er, for there may be conditions li/ nryvhich it'mayb advisable to cperatise'iferel Ysectioi'1s-as. df-y ferent distinctlunits yhor to theuse oany particular chemical or mixture ofchemicals` in the regenerating sections; ,nor :to the use of in ,hhydrating Sections, .I

.since any/,solutionfor saltwhich grecs-qll,`

water-jvapor mightivalsoj baused,l no rto the A use/of Wet sponge'or-cloth as the hydratihg agents.

generating agent as used in thel pec'loo-' .saif l wish to be understood. that thetrm-f regI Y@ tion andannexed claims is intende to brace a substance or 'a mixture of substances which by interaction with Water,"} evolves,- oxygen gas and furthermore gives tains another product which absor dioxid; And Where I alkali metals in the claims, I-f

That I claim andl ters' Patent l. ,The sist-ing Hessingthe exhaled. air circuit 'rstiaoyer-a .regenerating agent, then orconirbon f ,xpression1 v ean 'to in-v clude as Well the alkalineearthjmetals.

over.l a. fhydratingfagentthen over a regenerating agent.

. 2. The lprocess of regenerating air con-v sisting in passing theexhaledl air 1n a closed eircu 1t over a' regenerating. agent, then over a hydrating .agent,`andz then over other masses of the regenerating agentand thev hy-y dratin agent arranged 'alternatelyV until the desire x' degree ofrefren The process .df-)regenerating airfconsistlng inpassing the exhaled lairiny a closed circuit.; first. over a eroxd.. of'v any 'alkali' "metal,-the'n` over ahy rating agent and then over other massesnofthe perxid of the.

alkali lmetal' and the hydrating agent arranged alternately until the desired'degree ot' regenerating. is reached.

eration isi-reached.

. 4. The 'process of regeneratingjair consisting in passing the exhaled air 1n a closed circuit first over a mixture ofthe peroxids of the alkali metals, then over ahydratl'ng agent, and then over other masses ofa mixture of `the peroxids ofthe alkali metals and the` hydrating agent arranged alterately until the desired degree of regeneration is reached.

5. The process of regenerating air con-v sisting in passing the exhaled air in'a closed" circuit lirstover a mixture of' a an allali metal and a peroxid o an alkali eroxid of earth metal, then over a hydrating agent, and then over other masses of said peroxid mixture and .the hydrating agentarrangecl alternately until the desired degree of regeneration is reached.

6, In the process of regenerating air, passing the air in a. closed circuit through a. plurality of sections of a regeneration chamber, containing alternately a regenerating agent and a hydrating agent, so that the oxygen content of the air increases in each section containing the regenerating agent.

7. In the process of regenerating air,

passing the air in a closed circuit through a plunfility of sections of a regeneration chamber-.containing alternately a regenerating agent and a hydrating agent and maintaining said sections et a temperature above that of the surrounding atmosphere.

S. In the process of regenerating air, passing the air in a closed circuit through a plurality or sections of s regeneration chamber containing alternately an oxygen yielding and carbon dioxid absorbing agents, and a hydrating agent, so that the oxygen content of the 'air increases and the carbon dioxicl content. decreases in each section containing the rst named agents and the Water vapor content of the air increases in each section containing the hycli'ating agent.

9. In the process of regenerating air,

passing the air in a closed circuit. through a plurality of sections or" a regeneration char: ber containing alternately a reagent which. evolves lheat While reeenerating air, and a hydrating agent, so that the air is regenerated anti heated and then subjected to the action of the hydrating agent at, an elevated temperature.

.In testimony whereof I have sigxed this specification in the presence of two sul scribing witnesses 5172s. F. FLHEBTY. 

